Chapter 64: Taking Advantage of the Fire to Loot

  While Chiang Kai-shek was chatting excitedly with Hitler and Guderian, someone from the Chiang's attendant room came in, looking very anxious; the three had to end their conversation.

  Tan Xiao arrived at Chiang Kai-shek's study and found that everyone was already there; Tan Xiao knew that Chiang Kai-shek was leaving today, so it wasn't surprising. However, when greeting everyone, he clearly felt a very tense atmosphere.

  "The wind whispers, as planned, this noon Nanjing has already expressed its stance. Regarding the Shanghai futures market, due to the war, it will temporarily suspend trading and postpone until the end of the war... The Japanese are welcoming this, their ambassador, Koji Minemoto, even expressed gratitude to our diplomatic personnel for this... Chiang Kai-shek appears calm but can't help but show his excitement and tension: 'The big problem now is that a batch of warships from the powerful countries want to surrender to our army...'".

  "What! The fleet of the great powers is surrendering to us? ...... Tan Xiao's eyes widened in shock, he made a great effort to suppress his urge to scratch his ears and listen more clearly, indeed, his brain had not turned around yet."

  "Yes, because in the outer sea...the specific situation is unclear, it should be that the Allied fleet was defeated miserably. Those who escaped back, except for a few British ships to cover the troops on shore to fight to the death...the others, they requested to surrender to a third country, which is us..."

  Tan Xiao finally figured out the ins and outs: "Isn't this great!? ...Oh, the Japanese, I reckon they won't be tough on us for now, after all they don't dare to fight the whole world at the same time; besides, the success of Operation Rodent will also make them very passive, the student's idea is that we can take them in... our navy needs warships..."

  "Alas, this warship... can it be taken down? I'm afraid the Japanese will force us to hand over the ship and the people... Now I've already ordered them to sail the ship to Hankou... But if the Japanese come to force us..." Chiang Kai-shek wasn't unwilling to give up the warship, but if the Japanese were to forcibly demand that China hand over these warships and foreigners? Although he was preparing for war against Japan all day, he still couldn't bring himself to be tough on the Japanese.

  "The principal, from a student's perspective, this Japanese person won't be tough immediately... I think this time the Allied fleet will surrender, they must have been beaten badly. In that case, the great powers won't let it go easily, hehe, this time the Japanese are in trouble!" Tan Xiao was secretly delighted, he originally wanted to stir up trouble, but didn't expect it to be so chaotic. Whenever he thought of the great powers' fleet surrendering to the Chinese people, he couldn't help but smile!

  In fact, the consequences of this Shanghai Stock Exchange bloodbath exceeded everyone's expectations. First, let's talk about the naval battle on the Huangpu River. In terms of losses, it wasn't a big deal: most of the ships on the river were old vessels that had been in use since the 18XXs, mostly coal and oil-powered. Some British warships were even supposed to be scrapped but were kept because they couldn't withstand the long voyage to Hong Kong. Many of these old ships were equipped with large-caliber guns, but their range was too short, so they were retained. Additionally, due to the age of the ships, many had their main armor removed to compensate for their lack of power. These behemoths could easily bully Chinese small wooden boats, but if they really clashed, they would be completely destroyed! The fleet at sea was slightly better, but most of them were still old vessels playing out their last roles, like Japan's four sunken old cruisers, which were antiques that had participated in the Russo-Japanese War.

  The loss of the ship was nothing, but the loss of face was too great! The Japanese were bombarded at headquarters, and a prince with an army marshal's rank and a navy admiral were killed! If they had just spoken out, then now a batch of high-ranking generals would definitely have to step down with the cabinet; so the Japanese fought desperately, and next they brought out the real thing:

  The Japanese Combined Fleet immediately dispatched a main force consisting of two Kongō-class battleships, all four Takao-class heavy cruisers, and other light cruisers, as well as a destroyer squadron led by the Hatsuharu-class destroyers to intercept the Allied fleet in the south. Additionally, another fleet consisting of four Aoba-class heavy cruisers, six light cruisers, and ten Type 93 destroyers was dispatched to Shanghai!

  The next two naval battles were a foregone conclusion: in the battle south of Taiwan, the British fleet, which had been reinforced from Hong Kong and consisted of ten warships of varying ages and types, was sunk by the massive Japanese fleet with air support, except for two armed merchant ships that served as supply ships. In the Battle of the Yangtze River estuary, the Allied fleet turned tail and ran at the sight of their opponents, but eight light cruisers, destroyers, shallow-draft gunboats, and all four submarines managed to escape, while all other warships were sunk.

  If Tan Xiao knew this result, he would be overjoyed - he wouldn't have to spend money asking the American submarine for help anymore! But now he only cares about one thing, a very important matter, about money, a lot of money! He sent Wang Hongbiao's unit, disguised as Japanese soldiers, to Shanghai with an important mission: take advantage of the chaos and loot the concessions! Has this task been completed?

  Major Noven's troops were blocked at the White Ferry Bridge, just as they had once blocked the Japanese here. "Damn it! What happened to those troops left behind?!" Major Noven was desperate, without heavy artillery support, attacking across would be a fool's errand! "Get me in touch with the fleet, I need gunfire support!" Major Noven ordered his deputy officer, now he began to worry about the British artillerymen who stayed on the other side of the river. He picked up his binoculars and looked towards the artillery positions...

  "Watch out! Officer! They have a sniper!" A messenger ran over to the trench: "More than ten people at the front line position have already been hit by their snipers!"

  Noven heard the report and instinctively shrunk his body back into the trench: "Damn Japanese dwarfs!...... What kind of trench is this!" The tall Noven was now in a temporary trench that the Japanese had dug when they were facing each other across the river, it was clear that no one in this trench was over 1.6 meters tall!

  Like him, Ferguson was also concerned about the artillery position and is now lying in the hospital. During the artillery battle with the Japanese, a shell landed not far from his side, and he and several soldiers were injured.

  "I don't know if those guys have killed all the Japanese or what, damn it! What kind of painkiller did they give me?!... I'll never let my son become a soldier in the future!... Ahh, ahh......"

  "Alright, if you had a son like you, he'd only be good for manual labor, not soldiering. What would this timid Scotsman do?" jeered Sergeant Jiggs, his arm also badly hurt.

  "I can get him to kick a football! Oh, I love that thing! My son is going to be a star!" Ferguson said.

  "Ball star? If he looked like you, it wouldn't be easy, you know. Unless you're handsome enough to make the ladies scream every time you fall down, you can't become a ball star!" Gigs said: "I think your son has the potential to be a dockworker!"

  "Damn it! ... If he can't be a soccer star, then be a coach, all the stars will be under his control!"

  "If your son could be a coach! Haha, then I'll let my grandson go and kick the ball for him!" Giggs sneered.

  "Die Welshman! Hope your grandson runs faster than you! ......Oh, and don't let my son play for Manchester United...... that devil's place only wants handsome guys, just like that American Marine Corps general so handsome......"

  On their way to the hospital, they ran into a very handsome U.S. Marine Corps officer leading a company towards their position.

  The commander of that US Marine Corps unit was actually Theodor von Cramm, a German nobleman and commander of the Brandenburgers training camp. They disguised themselves as a patrol of US Marines and made their way to the British artillery positions, where the weary gunners looked on curiously at the "fighting elite" in their hands.

  "Hey, buddies, you know what? This isn't an American gun, it's made in India, it's your gun!" Sipul said as he cocked the gun, and the other "US Marines" did the same, then they started firing wildly at the British...

  After the garrison troops of other river-crossing bridges such as White Transit Bridge were similarly cleared, they moved to another task in the central area of the concession. This was handed over to Wang Hongbiao's troops. After setting up one or two rows of people at each crossing point, Wang Hongbiao divided his main force into two parts: one part went behind to launch a surprise attack on the Allied forces, and the other part also began to enter the central area of the concession. Although Wang Hongbiao brought all the other thousand people hidden in Pudong, he still felt that there were not enough personnel for tonight's task.

  "Major! Someone has come into contact from the south bank!" A messenger brought a white man who was drenched from head to toe and looked very sturdy in front of Noven.

  "Halber! Liaison officer of the Ministry of Works, I have been ordered to inform you, Major, that the Japanese have arrived and our fleet cannot withstand them. Except for three river gunboats that will cooperate with your troops, all others have gone to Hankou... Some things cannot be contacted by open code or telephone... Uh, the phone has also been cut off... Please, Major, your troops must hold out against the Japanese here for one night... Those who have entered the concession can be handed over to the French. The concession is currently evacuating civilians and rushing to transport bank vaults. There is intelligence that the Japanese will loot and massacre in the concession... After tonight, you can retreat westward and then surrender to the Chinese army... But tonight must be held out, this concerns the lives and property safety of tens of thousands of people! ... May God bless you, Major!" The man finished speaking and was about to return to report.

  "God bless you! ...... You're a good fellow!" Colonel Noven was also a good fellow: "Listen up, everyone, don't mind those few Japanese people now. The Japanese are about to come from the north, and our compatriots are evacuating! This is when we soldiers show our worth! There's no retreat! Behind us are all civilians! We must hold off the Japanese for one night!"

  Each bank in the concession received a phone call from the "Public Works Bureau" and the "Municipal Council", requiring them to transport all cash, jewellery, gold, silver and other valuable collateral in their vaults to Nanshi City, as intelligence had been received that the Japanese were going to loot all banks; moreover, small units of Japanese troops had already infiltrated into the concession!

  Nearly three thousand French troops have gathered, listening to the commander's speech: "We have received the latest intelligence that the Japanese have landed in the northern part of the concession and are now engaged in a fierce battle with British and American forces on the north bank of the Suzhou River! Our mission is to defend our positions on the south bank, and before dawn, no one is allowed to cross over! ... Do you understand? Anyone, including British and American troops! Because we have a heavy responsibility, we are the last line of defense, and we must ensure the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people! A small number of Japanese have infiltrated into the concession, but there are very few, leave them to the police station and those Italian noodles to deal with them. If there is gunfire behind us, don't panic! Our mission is to face north and not let anyone cross the bridge until tomorrow noon!

  "Thank you very much! Koeber Middle School! All civilians will know about you! You risked your life to give everyone a way out!" That "Habul" liaison officer is now appearing in the French concession!

  When the French arrived at the south bank of Suzhou River, they only saw an empty defense line with a wooden board written in English: "Brothers of the French army! We must fight alongside our own brothers. Leave this place to you. When the Japanese come, kill more for us and take revenge!"

  Many French soldiers were moved to tears! "Don't worry, my friends! We will fight until the last man!" Colonel Kubler raised three fingers in oath! Behind him, a thick male bass voice echoed: "We will fight until the last man!" Almost at the same time, dense gunfire began to be heard from afar on the north bank of Suzhou River, and sporadic gunshots also rang out from the direction of Shanghai city behind them...

  The streets of the concession were cold and empty, with everyone having returned home and locked their doors. Occasionally, a propaganda vehicle would appear, broadcasting in English, French, and Chinese through its loudspeakers: "Citizens of various countries in the concession, we have negotiated with the Japanese, as long as you are civilians, stay at home, they will guarantee your safety, if you encounter unfair or barbaric treatment, please endure..." The early summer sunset lingered, as if infinitely worried about the people here...

  At the entrance of HSBC, dozens of cars loaded with gold, silver and cash from various countries were about to leave under the command of more than a dozen "British soldiers". Suddenly, the sound of submachine gun fire came from the corner of the street! Then a British soldier holding a submachine gun ran over: "Japanese troops! Many Japanese troops!......" Those dozen or so "British soldiers" immediately scattered in all directions.

  A group of "Japanese troops" who had been waiting nearby for a long time heard the sound of submachine guns and rushed towards the HSBC Bank, directly opening fire on the crowd. The porters and bank employees cursed the cowardly "British troops" while fleeing into the bank building. The "Japanese troops" did not pursue them, but quickly looted dozens of cars and drove away... The same scene occurred at different times in all 27 British, American, French, Soviet, Italian, Belgian, and Dutch banks in Shanghai! Of course, German-funded banks and Japanese-funded banks that had been looted the day before were excluded. By midnight, even the securities, bonds, gold coins, etc. of non-bank financial institutions such as the International Savings Association and the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce had been looted!

  The north bank of the Suzhou River was in fierce battle, and the Japanese first landed a regiment belonging to the 9th Division, which had difficulty advancing inch by inch until midnight. Zhang Xiang, who was paying close attention to the battlefield at all times, looked anxiously at the rows of military trains loaded with goods: only half of the looted things were sent out!

  "How's the waterway? Is it finished?" Zhang Xiang asked anxiously. Due to the big battle on the Huangpu River two days ago, the sunken ships blocked the river and Japanese warships couldn't get through, so the waterway was also an important route. They had seized all the cargo ships of the Japanese Qing Company in the Jiangnan section yesterday and were now rushing to transport them urgently.

  "Don't worry! Isn't another train coming? If not, we can just transport it out by car......" The speaker was Wu Delong, the eldest son of Wu Sheng, one of the leaders of the group from Old Tan's side.

  "With cars? How many men do I have to escort?" Zhang Xiang's special warfare regiment, apart from being responsible for escorting these goods, also had to leave behind three platoons to continue causing trouble. He really didn't have many people available! Having too much money was also a hassle!

  Although the old Tang's men were also from a military background, they had always been spoiled and didn't dare to guarantee their escort, now they could only hope that the Allied Army would hold on for a while longer!

  "Otherwise, I'll pull out a battalion and have them transport the cars directly. Let them be in charge of escorting the vehicles." Wang Hongbiao said. He was worried that some of his subordinates might not perform well in the upcoming task, so he thought it would be better to assign those unreliable soldiers to other purposes.

  "It can't be helped!" Zhang Xiang nodded, this time's gain was more than twice that of the crazy battle in the futures market!

  The Allied forces' resistance was far stronger than anyone had expected, and by dawn the Japanese army had not advanced a single step!

  "Hachigatsu!" The commander of the 7th Infantry Regiment, Colonel Isao Ichinohe, was furious! His troops were ambushed by the brave Allied forces during landing and got entangled in close combat, making it impossible for the warships' artillery to play a role. Under the intense machine gun fire from the Allied forces, they suffered heavy casualties and were driven off the dock! The subsequent landings also failed, until the 35th Regiment's flanking attack helped them successfully land in the second half of the night. However, their numbers had dwindled to only 1,700 men, with more than half killed or wounded!

  At his side, the commander of the 35th Brigade, Fujii Matsuji, also looked worried: although his troops had landed unopposed, they had suffered heavy casualties in the advance and had already lost a third of their men.

  "We can't just sit back! It's only us, the 19th and 39th Regiments won't arrive until noon......" Fujiike Sueyoshi muttered to himself, although he was also a regimental commander, Isao Kazuo had more seniority than him.

  Izawa Kazuo also knew that he had to attack and clear the landing site for the follow-up troops, but he was not used to fighting against such a powerful Allied force - the various national forces in Shanghai were all of high quality, far superior to many colonial garrison troops, as they had to maintain an image internationally.

  In the field fortifications that had been battered by naval gunfire, Noven risked danger to quickly move through the most forward trenches with his hands and feet: "Buddy, you did a great job! I saw in my binoculars that you took down that Japanese monkey with one shot! Good...!" "Brother, during the European war, I was also wounded on my face...... Yeah, it's this, I thought girls would be afraid of me, but when I returned to London, those beauties were vying to kiss my wounds......" He went like this, inspecting each combat position and joking with the soldiers. He was an outstanding commander and excellent soldier!

  "We're doomed, our fleet is gone, the casualties are too heavy, I don't know if we can hold on until dawn..." Norman returned to the command post exhausted, his voice hoarse from shouting in the cannon fire and talking non-stop in the trenches. He took a big gulp of water and said: "Dale, take a squad to support the Americans at position 9, they're down to just over 20 men..."

  "Sir, there's just one row left here..."

  "Hurry up! Aren't there two more classes? I need warriors, not guards!"

  "Yes, sir!" Dale took off with his squad.

  The battlefield was littered with corpses, and the Allied soldiers who had previously been meticulous about collecting their fallen comrades' bodies no longer bothered to do so. There were more dead than living, how could they collect them? Moreover, they had already repelled six Japanese attacks, and most people were too exhausted to move. The survivors in the trenches had all made preparations for the next defense, loading bullets into their guns and magazines, and each person had eaten something and drunk some water. Some stared blankly waiting for the enemy's next attack, while others hummed a tune, but no one slept - peaceful times had been too long, including old soldiers who hadn't yet re-accustomed themselves to sleeping in the intervals between battles, despite their exhaustion.

  "Bang!" A gunshot rang out, and a young US Marine on the 9th position quickly withdrew his body, turning swiftly like a cat, but was tripped by an old soldier who looked like a corpse sitting in the trench, almost falling over.

  "Hey old man, can't you just sit still for once!" The young man sat down abruptly, he had already taken out eight Japanese soldiers with his sniper rifle: "I don't know if I'll have the chance to go home for Thanksgiving... I'm a three-time turkey shooting champion, oh, those girls..." The young man started to miss home.

  "I'm counting for you, is it the eighth one? Don't you think fighting Japanese people is more fun than fighting turkeys?" The old soldier held an unlit cigarette: "If you have a life to return to, without going to America, just in the concession area, there will be over a dozen girls lining up to go to bed with you, hehehe..."

  "Hey, the British are coming!" The young man saw Dale's squad crouching and advancing in the traffic trench.

  Now, with their commanders fallen, both British and American forces are under the command of Colonel Novin, the highest-ranking officer.

  "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" ... Just as they were about to greet each other, the sound of mortar shells piercing the air was heard, and then smoke filled the entire position.

  "Get moving! The naval guns are going to fire!" Two Americans shouted together at the British troops, themselves starting a frantic sprint along the trenches...

  The fierce bombardment of the warship's guns once again opened the curtain on the Japanese seventh attack...

  (The author: I really couldn't find the list of regimental officers of the 9th Division of the Chinese and Japanese armies in 1935, so I used a substitute from the invasion of China. In fact, there was a major adjustment before the war in 1937, almost everyone changed, including the division commander...... This chapter will practice writing about the battlefield first, and later there will be more battle scenes......)